Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 207
February 28, 2012
Readers, Writers, Publishers ~ Can We Have A Win-Win-Win Situation?
It's no wonder, in a world plagued by corporate media and international tensions, that the flux in the way books are created, distributed, and absorbed would be cast as a "war" between the three protagonists.
It's obvious, without writers, readers and publishers would starve.
So, let's assume we'll always have folks who feel they Must write.
Will we always have big publishing houses?
In a previous post, Will Traditional Publishers Survive?, I asked the question, "Do you agree that the Digital Revolution is just one more 'adjustment' the traditional publishers need to consider?"
Will readers suffer from the surge in self-published books?
In the post, Are Readers The Winners In The New Publishing Game?, I said, "I do believe that, eventually, readers will have an exceedingly easy time in finding exactly what they desire; and, that they will become the primary 'gatekeepers' in the Book-World."
It's certain that writers who take a non-traditional approach to publishing have to find ways of reaching their readers.
And, traditional publishers may be paying closer attention to readers' real desires.
In a recent GalleyCat article, Publishers To Invest In Reader Data For Marketing, it's said, "…that almost 71 percent of publishers agreed with the statement, 'To be successful, the publisher of the future must have a database of individual customers it can have a relationship with and even contact directly.'"
It's fascinating to me that many writers are already making sure they can contact and have a relationship with readers…
Do you think traditional publishers will eventually form meaningful relationships with readers?
Can you imagine a world where readers have real input to the decisions publishers make?
Are writers fated to become their own publishers?
Is it conceivable that, eventually, readers, writers, and publishers can all Win?
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
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Tagged: books, GalleyCat, publisher, publishing, reader, reading, writer, writing
February 27, 2012
Yet More Writing Resources . . .
I've had a number of posts here that highlight various modes of advice-sifting.
Sadly, sifting through creative writing advice for the really good stuff often becomes a budding writers full-time job…
Still, I try to provide links to resources when I find them and hope folks remember that persistence in writing (and re-writing) as well as reading creative fiction are still the best all-round training tools.
Yet, here I go pointing you toward a previous post which points to three more posts—some with writing tips and some with writing warnings: Writing Resources, Revisited…
And, I'm going to add two more potential sources of writing advice.
One from former literary agent Nathan Bransford: Writing Advice Database.
And, one from Cary Graham, who states about his large list of writing advice that, "One of the greatest resources we have as writers is one another.": Hone Your Skills. Perfect The Craft.
Last, let me repeat my three Don'ts for budding creative writers:
Don't pay anyone a penny until you've written the equivalent of a novel and even then you should probably wait much longer.
Don't listen to people who are willing to give you free information until you've read some of their creative writing. { blogs can actually count as creative writing :-}
Don't get caught up in reading writing advice until you've given yourself the chance to write what you feel is the best work you can produce.
COMMENTS??
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
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Tagged: Cary Graham, Creative Writers, creative writing, Nathan Bransford, Writer Resources, writers, writing, writing advice
February 24, 2012
Not "Self-Publishing" Because You Lack Technical Digital/Electronic Knowledge?
I've written about many kinds of publishing—Traditional, Independent, "Aided", and Self-Publishing.
Some use "Self-Publishing" to refer to Independent and "Aided" publishing as well, and this post is really about all three…
A writer could go the Traditional route by only using a pen and paper then hiring someone to use a word processor to put it in proper form for agents and editors.
"Aided" and Self-Publishing could also be done by hiring someone to do the word processing but the job of promotion/marketing would also demand technical skills with computers and, usually, social network interaction.
Independent Publishing would demand hiring an office full of technical staff.
Or, certain rare individuals could do all the work themselves; except, of course, with some of the best Traditional Publishers…
I use "Aided" publishing, do my own word processing, have found two editors that I don't have to pay, and take care of all my own Internet promotion.
I got to thinking about the writers who are Digitally/Electronically Challenged when I read a post by Joel Friedlander about his being on a powerhouse panel at a recent writers' convention: 2012: Best of Times for Writers, or the Worst?
The convention was in San Francisco. The panelists, including Joel, were: Mark Coker (Smashwords), Brian Felsen (Bookbaby), Jan Johnson (Turning Stone), and Jesse Potash (PubSlush). It was moderated by Carla King (Self-Publishing Bootcamp).
If the writers at that convention were even slightly interested in the potential of "Self-Publishing", that particular panel would have been very worth attending.
I urge you to go read Joel's post for the details but, for the purpose of this blog post, I'll let you know that the panel was very poorly attended.
Apparently, most of the writers were at another location at the convention—waiting in line for a brief contact with a Traditional Agent…
Joel speculates on the low attendance at his panel:
"I thought about some of the writers I know. Many are quite technophobic. Just learning Word is a major accomplishment. I know people who can write prose that will melt your heart, but they never figured out how to attach something to an email."
He then asks two questions with which I'll close this post (hoping for your comments…):
"Do you think there will be writers who are pushed aside by the technical requirements of the new era in publishing?
"Or will there always be publishers to take care of the business end of things for writers who want no part of it?"
And, why not go to Joel's post and leave him a comment, too :-)
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
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Tagged: Carla King, Joel Friedlander, Mark Coker, publishing, Publishing Resources, self-publishing, Smashwords, Writing Resources
February 23, 2012
MicroFiction Reprise :-)
Our Internet Age has spawned what appears to be an appetite that's appeased in bits and bites rather than in full-course meals.
It's even become a form of writing, whether in blogs, news, or fiction.
USA Today ~ Books recently had an announcement: New voices: Author Lou Beach's '420 Characters'.
The book's description: "Miniature short stories written as Facebook updates, when there was a 420-character limit, spaces and punctuation included."
Lou Beach's Site quotes Kirkus Reviews: "Celebrated illustrator Beach…turns his uncommon sensibilities to the written word, composing a small fortune in vignettes that originally appeared as Facebook updates. An adroit experiment that marries linguistic restraint to literary cool."
I was alerted to this new release by a good friend of mine on Book Island in the virtual world, Second life.
His name is Brokali now. As often happens, since Second Life is a virtual world, folks will re-create themselves, changing their names along with their appearance.
Bokali's name in Real Life is Johnpaul Mahofski and, when he still had the name Relish (in Second Life), I did two posts about his MicroFiction which included 10 of his superb stories.
Johnpaul is a librarian at the Eastern Correctional Institution in the State of Maryland in the U.S. A.
He's written a huge number of Facebook Fiction stories (as well as other lengths) in the new Literary Realm…
Do, please, check out our sampling of Johnpaul's masterful fiction in these two posts:
Breaking Boundaries ~ Microfiction
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
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Tagged: Facebook, Johnpaul Mahofski, Kirkus Reviews, Lou Beach, micro fiction, microfiction, Second Life, USA Today
February 22, 2012
E-Books, Libraries, and An Experiment In Blogging
I've always been a rather Benevolent Maverick.
Recently, I broke a blogging "rule" and had a post that ran over 4,000 words—Author Interview ~ Shannan Sinclair.
Today, I'm going to give three brief references to articles about e-books and see how many folks take the links, read the articles, and make a comment…
I need to start by referencing a WebSite that will help set-up the first e-book article—O'Reilly ~ Tools of Change for Publishing—a conference held in New York City, February 13-15.
The first e-book article, from NPR, is, At Last, They See: E-Books 'Democratize' Publishing, which begins with:
"Not known as a hotbed of experimentation, the world of publishing has been slow to embrace the transition from print to e-books. This past week in New York, however, the Tools of Change digital publishing conference attracted entrepreneurs and innovators who are more excited by, rather than afraid of, the future."
The next article is from PCWorld—Ebook Publishers Want Library Borrowing to Be Difficult—and begins with:
"In an effort to make library ebook borrowing less convenient, Penguin Group has discontinued over-the-air library book downloads for Kindle users."
The third article is from an "Annoyed Librarian" on the Library Journal and is called, Ebooks and Libraries Don't Mix. Here's the opening:
"Libraries certainly are living in interesting times, and last week was no exception. We were also provided with more evidence supporting one of my hypotheses, which is that if you want to get something done, don't involve the ALA [American Library Association]."
I'm sure I'll be back to my normal routine tomorrow—featuring one article and commenting myself; but, that's my post for today…
I may get no comments :-)
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
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Tagged: American Library Association, E-book, ebook, Libraries, library, Library Journal, Penguin Group, Shannan Sinclair
February 21, 2012
Writers Becoming Their Own Publisher
I've written a lot about "self-publishing" and I need to, finally, clear up a misconception.
I haven't actually "self-published"; I've used a Print-On-Demand publisher rather than a Traditional publisher.
Right now, the grades seem to be: Traditional, Independent, "Aided", and Self-publishing.
Pure Self-publishing is done through places like Smashwords and Amazon; "Aided" is through companies like FastPencil (what I use).
But, the ultimate gig for highly industrious writers is to Be their Own Independent Publisher…
This is something I will never do; and, the man I'm going to point you towards has enough experience to prove that only the most energetic writers are capable of being their own full-blown publisher.
It's one thing to use Amazon to publish an e-book; it's quite another thing to produce print and e-books and distribute them yourself to Amazon as well as other Web companies, then go on to distribute to bookstores, handle returns, and a thousand other tasks.
Dean Wesley Smith, according to Wikipedia, "is a science fiction author, known primarily for his Star Trek novels, film novelizations, and other novels of licensed properties such as Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, Roswell, and Quantum Leap." And, according to his own Bio: "Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name."
He's created his own WMG Publsihing House as well as chronicled all the considerations and tasks necessary to be one's own publisher in the series, Think Like A Publisher.
Here are the various sections:
8…Prices, Discounts, and Sales
9…Selling to Independent Bookstores
9.5…The Secret of Indie Publishing
11…Electronic Sales to Bookstores
I hope Dean's information and experience will help the brave writing-souls who feel they can be their own publisher.
Are you one of those people?
Do you know one?
Actually, there are many other resources on the Web for folks who want to become their own Independent Publishers; but, Dean's articles are friendly and full of his personal experience.
And, perhaps, every writer could benefit from reading and understanding this process…
If you're a writer, are you considering Traditional, "Aided", or Self-publishing?
Have you already been published through one of these Paths?
I'm hoping this post gets some Lively Comment activity :-)
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com
Tagged: Book Publishing, Dean Wesley Smith, Independent Publisher, Indie Publishing, Print on demand, publish, publishing, Star Trek
February 20, 2012
Are Writers Doomed To Be Isolated And Lonely?
I know quite a few writers but certainly not all writers.
Still, I want to think-out-loud about how they're affected by all the time they spend alone…
Naturally, "alone" doesn't necessarily mean "lonely".
And, for creative writers, "isolated" doesn't necessarily mean "alone"—there are all those characters in their heads :-)
I imagine there are some writers who are both isolated and lonely; yet, I know many who have rich social lives.
Which brings me to ponder about writers who claim their job is to only write, that they aren't capable of the "business" side—publishing and promotion.
If they don't have a rich social life, they may well need other people to help make the "business" decisions.
If they have no problems being social, they could certainly, in my opinion, easily learn the "business" of writing.
I've put "business" in quotes four times now because, to me, that word doesn't have to mean soulless activity that conflicts with a creative nature.
Many successful business people will tell you that what they do is all about relationships…
With all that said, so many writers—either thinking about self-publishing or realizing that traditional publishers want them to do most of the promotion activities—are facing what they feel is a necessity to deal with the "social networks"—Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Diaspora, etc….
Even writers who have "rich social lives" seem to feel it necessary to spend many hours each day dealing with the "social networks"…
Back in October, Joel Friedlander asked me to do a guest post—Second Life: Virtual Book Promotion and Word of Mouth.
Here's an excerpt from that post:
"The anxiety I experienced with 'social networking' was that it wasn't 'social' enough for me and the 'networking' had weak bonds. I need solid relationships for my book promotion endeavors. I'd rather reach a small group who love me than a vast herd who can tolerate me. And, if I can slowly and surely increase my reading-friends—create lasting bonds—the odds of those people promoting the book for me are much better.
"So, there I was, book-promotion-maverick seeking deep bonds, flailing about in a sea of temporary 'friendship' and uncertain 'relationship'. I'm not trying to blame those Internet platforms. It's just that I can't find what I absolutely need in my approach to book promotion in those arenas."
I go on to talk about what I am doing to promote my writing…
I did a post a few days ago that featured poet Sarah Kay.
I'm going to feature her again–performing her poem, Postcards.
Poetry lends itself to multiple interpretation and I hope you'll share yours in the Comments :-)
To me, Postcards is all about my experience with "social" networks.……..
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com
Tagged: Facebook, Google, Google Plus, Joel Friedlander, Sarah Kay, Social Networks, Twitter, writers
February 17, 2012
Will Traditional Publishers Survive?
Very Special Discount Code for Readers, Writers, and Publishers
So much change in so little time!
Folks are predicting the Big-Six Book Publishers and dozens of smaller houses are on their way out.
Well…
Bloomberg View, the opinion section of a major financial organization's WebSite, has an article by Ellen F. Brown (award-winning freelance writer) called, Why Book Publishing Can Survive Digital Age: Echoes.
As far as the challenge to traditional publishers from the new digital phenomenon, Ellen says, "…the publishing industry has a long history of weathering these sorts of challenges…".
Then, she proceeds to cite some history:
"In the 1920s, drug, grocery and department stores gave booksellers fits by offering popular titles at cut-rate prices."
"Also problematic was the Book of the Month Club, a distribution company founded in 1926 that sold inexpensive hardcover versions of popular books through mail order."
"And, of course, there was the ultimate competitor to bookstores: public libraries. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, communities across the U.S. funded the construction of facilities where books could be had for free, albeit only on loan."
"Then came the 'paperback revolution'. According to Publishers Weekly, word spread at the 1939 American Booksellers Convention that 'some reckless publisher' was going to bring out a series of paperback reprints of popular novels to be sold for only a quarter a piece."
"The real test of the industry's mettle came in 1949 when Fawcett Publications announced a new series of 25-cent paperback originals. A vigorous debate arose over the propriety of original work being released in such an inexpensive format."
And, Ellen's thoughts on how all that affected the publishers?
"Although there was much grumbling along the way, the industry gradually accepted that the new products and distributors, including libraries, were not evil incarnate. To the contrary, they were something of a boon in that they generated interest in reading among people who didn't frequent bookstores."
Then, a most interesting thought:
"The new products also had a hard time maintaining their early successes. It's a simple matter of economics: Delivering a high-quality product at a bargain-basement price is difficult. Once competition heated up in the cheap-book market, signs of strain began to show."
There's a lot more history and speculation in the full article but Ellen sums up with: "Electronics are here to stay, but someday the digital revolution in publishing may well be seen as just another phase in the natural evolution of a vital and resilient industry."
Do read the original article. It's quite well-written…
But…
Do you agree that the Digital Revolution is just one more "adjustment" the traditional publishers need to consider?
Is there something "different" about Print-On-Demand and E-Books that poses a greater challenge to the Big-Six and their smaller cousins?
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com
Tagged: Big Six, Bloomberg, Ellen F. Brown, Print on demand, publishing, self-publishing, Traditional Publisher, traditional publishing
February 16, 2012
What Does It Really Mean To Be A "Bestselling" Author?
Very Special Discount Code for Readers, Writers, and Publishers
Everything about the Book-World is in dizzying transformation.
What you could be sure of yesterday is a Maybe today and may not exist tomorrow…
So, what is a bestselling author?
It depends heavily on which bestselling list the author appears: ABA IndieBound (ABA), The New York Times (NYT), Barnes & Noble (BAN), Publishers Weekly (PBW), The Boston Globe (BOG), USA Today (USA), The Denver Post (DPO), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The Los Angeles Times (LAT), WalMart.com (WAL), BN.com, or Amazon.com.
That was just a partial list plus we can learn more from Kailin Gow in her post on FastCompany called, What Being A "Bestselling Author" Really Means.
Like many posts with imposing titles (including this one), Gow's falls short of full description but does do a good job of comparing the NYT list with Amazon's.
Concerning her own bestselling status on Amazon, she says:
"…my books, because of the rankings they received at one point on Amazon, were popular enough to be on the bestseller list. For a book to rank #300 on the overall Amazon ranking means that, out of over 1 million books on Amazon, only 299 sold more copies."
And, Gow says, about the NYT list:
"No one knows exactly how this is compiled, but large publishers know certain things about getting onto the list, and that's why you find many of the large publishers' books on there. It is a well-known fact among publishers that the New York Times gets its book sales data from a scattered few bookstores (like the Nielsen's) and it doesn't take into account the actual sales of the books (which Amazon.com does in order to rank), but how many books were shipped to these particular sampling of stores in anticipation of sales….
"Does being on Amazon.com's bestselling list actually mean you are selling more than being on a New York Times list?
"In some cases, yes. It boils down to Actual Sales (Amazon.com) vs. Anticipated Sales from select bookstores (New York Times)."
So, if you're an author, would you rather be a Bestseller because a few, select, bookstores did well with your book or because more readers chose you from a much larger collection of books?
Also, if you are an author, is it important for you to be a "bestseller"?
Would you be happy selling moderately to a diverse audience?
What are your criteria for sales "success"?
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com
Tagged: Amazon, bestseller, Bestselling Author, Bestselling Book, FastCompany, Kailin Gow, New York Times, Selling Books
February 15, 2012
Poetry That Just Might Knock Your Socks Off . . .
Very Special Discount Code for Readers, Writers, and Publishers
You might know me as the guy who's published a novel and is working on a short story collection.
Maybe you never noticed that I began my publishing career as a poet.
Plus, after I finish the upcoming short stories, I'm going to dive back into poetry…
Considering the vast range of types of poetry and that poetry and prose can have sex and produce yet more variety, I wonder why so many folks "can't stand" poetry.
Perhaps I've found a poet they might like.
She does what she calls "spoken word" poetry.
Seems to be from a long ancestry of prose/poetry intermarriage.
Seems to ooze significance and effuse meaning and sparkle at the back of the mind and trigger memories of things you haven't yet done…
Her name is Sarah Kay and she's founded a movement called Project V.O.I.C.E.
She talks about her Project in the video below, after a very cool poem, then goes into a rap about creativity that should be viewed by every writer on the planet.
If you're not careful (whether you're a reader, writer, or publisher) she just might inspire you.
Watch this video and get back with me in the comments, ok?
Use this link for more Sarah Kay Poetry :-)
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Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)
For Private Comments, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com
Tagged: creativity, poet, poetry, Project V.O.I.C.E., Project Voice, Sarah Kay, Spoken word, Spoken Word Poetry
